About this lodger agreement
Use this lodger agreement to rent a room in your property to one or more people. This agreement creates a license to use the property, with far fewer legal requirements for the landlord than a lease or a tenancy agreement.
There is no requirement to have a formal written legal agreement with your lodger, but having one clarifies what the lodger can expect in the arrangement, and provides a reference point should any dispute occur in the future. Whether you’re renting a room to a friend for a month or two, or wanting a long term lodger, there are practical and legal advantages of having the rental terms in writing.
The law relating to this lodger agreement
This license to occupy gives a lodger permission to live in a property without creating a tenancy and thus giving the lodger greater rights to residence than necessary. A license should be granted on a short-term basis and renewed as necessary. Make sure the term is no longer than twelve months, and renew as often as necessary.
The landlord living in the same property as the “tenant” is one of the circumstances under the Housing Acts that automatically invalidates use of an assured shorthold tenancy agreement.
If you are claiming tax free rent allowance under the Rent-a-Room scheme the property must be your principal private residence. We suggest you seek tax advice if the rent you receive is above the threshold. You can still use this lodger agreement if the property is not your principle private residence but you will live there for a significant amount of time.
Some helpful and practical pointers for lodger agreements
Mentioned in the help notes to this document (along with others) are the following pointers:
- Taking a deposit (a bond) can be done (and is covered in this agreement) but we advise that if you can avoid doing so, you should. A court may see a deposit as pointing toward this arrangement being a tenancy.
- Work in to your agreement the right for you to enter the room rented to your lodger at any time. Although this needs to be done discretely, avoiding giving the lodger exclusive occupation of the property helps identify your arrangement as a license rather than a tenancy.
- Living with a lodger can be less pleasant once you’ve given him or her notice. Consider a short term. The expectation of a short arrangement will make giving notice easier (e.g. you can mention that you don’t plan to renew, rather than that you want your lodger to leave).
When to use this license
This lodger agreement can be used in the following circumstances:
- A property owner renting out a spare bedroom (to a stranger, a friend, or a couple)
- A student owner landlord renting multiple rooms in a property to other students
- For any type of property: flat, house, bungalow
- Can be used to rent more than one room in a property
- Use to sub-let a room if you rent under a tenancy agreement (subject to your agreement allowing sub-letting)
It is not suitable if:
- The lodger will run a business from the property
- The lodger will occupy the whole property and the landlord lives elsewhere
- The lodger will only live in the property on a part time basis
Agreement features and contents
- Includes sensible, practical provisions to protect the landlord’s interests
- Full description of the property and the services that the lodger should expect to receive
- All likely provisions for restrictions on what the lodger may do in the property
- Rent period and amount
Reasons to buy from Net Lawman
Full money back guarantee – buy with confidence
This lodger agreement comes with a no questions asked full money back guarantee. You take no risk that it might not be right. Once you buy it, we’ll give you 30 days to evaluate it in any way you want. If for any reason you’re not happy, just e-mail us and we’ll refund your money in full immediately.
Guidance notes included - prior legal knowledge is not required
Comprehensive guidance notes, written by the author of the document, are included. These notes ensure that you don’t need to be a lawyer or have knowledge of the law to understand which paragraphs you should edit to complete the agreement.
Minimal editing required
This agreement has been written specifically in such a way that you don’t need to spend hours editing it. It uses an approach where you remove the sections that aren’t applicable to you, so you don’t have to add any back, write your own, or worry about whether you are using correct legal language.
Paragraphs have been written to stand alone from each other. Removing one that isn’t applicable to your circumstances doesn’t affect the standing of any other in the agreement.
Plain language minimises future disagreements
Your lodger agreement is real law written in plain language that all parties will understand. This will minimise the likelihood of later disputes.
If a dispute does arise and you find yourself in court, the judge will look more favourably on a legal agreement written in plain language over one peppered with complicated legal jargon. Your case will be stronger if it is clear that both sides understood the agreement when it was signed.
Buy once – re-use again and again
You can use the lodger agreement as many times as you like. Whether you have more than one lodger at any time, or you rent a single room to many people over time, just create a new document from the master version.
Delivered straight to your inbox
As soon as you complete the secure checkout process, we will send your lodger agreement straight to your inbox. We will also keep a copy for you for 60 days in our customer area so you can access it even when you are away from your e-mail.
Still unsure whether this is the right document for you?
If you are unsure whether this lodger agreement is suitable for your particular circumstances, then you have two options. The first is to buy now, evaluate the agreement, and use the 30 day, full money back guarantee to obtain a refund if it isn’t suitable. You take no risk in seeing the agreement. The second option is to contact us and ask. We can’t offer you legal advice on your situation, but we can help you find the document you want. We aim to respond to your question within 24 hours. |
